Writing - Division II
Honorable Mention
"Evolution of Genocide"
Nicholas Haren
Grade 12, Green High School
Teacher: Elaine Miller
Directionless, unsure what to do
A brilliant new leader emerges
He offers hope, safety, reunification
And a scapegoat
Prejudice is born
The people embrace their new leader's ideology
They become fully devoted to him, blindly following him Blinded by the good he's done
The improvement of the nation
The booming economy
The strengthened military
He begins to focus more on his preaching of hate
Blaming an innocent group of people for the previous hardships the nation faced
The people, still blinded, continue to support him
Genocide has begun
For many reasons, the people can do nothing to stop the killing
Ignorance of the happenings, fear of the repercussions
Or that they have already been sent to a camp
With nothing to limit it, nothing to stop it
Genocide, like a flower of death, continues to blossom
Until someone is strong enough to defeat the leader
Or the scapegoat has been wiped out